1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of connection assemblies for electronic components which may be used in conjunction with a cooling mechanism. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method of providing separation between circuit boards to allow convective cooling via a slidably-mounted fan, while, at the same time, minimizing the profile of an electronic system that contains the circuit boards.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Most electronic devices today, including computer systems and appliances, server systems and appliances, stereo systems, and video and/or audio player systemsxe2x80x94e.g., compact disc (CD), video compact disc (VCD), digital versatile disc (DVD) and videocassette recorder (VCR) playersxe2x80x94are housed in rectangular metal boxes. The boxes vary in size depending on the complexity of the systems therein and the number of components required to implement the systems. A less complex system, such as a video and/or audio player system and a system performing simple functions, is often enclosed in a single small box because fewer components are needed for performing the simple functions. In contrast, a more complex system is either enclosed in a large box or composed of several units that are connected together during operation. For example, in a server system or appliance that manages network resources, processes data, directs network traffic, stores information and connects workstations to the Internet in a small network, several units are required. A server unit is needed for managing network resources, such as printers, disk drives and memory. The server unit may, for example, be dedicated to store files, control printers and manage network traffic and process database queries. A hub unit is needed for connecting the plurality of workstations in the network, providing a common connection point for devices in the network. Typically, the hub unit contains multiple ports, and when a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the network can see all of the packets. A router unit and/or switch unit may also be needed to control data traffic from the workstations or the server unit to the Internet and from the Internet to the workstations or the server unit.
A computer system, such as a desktop computer, or an individual unit within the server system as described above, generally includes various circuit boards having computer chips and other electronic components that allow the computer system to operate. Typical circuit boards in a computer system include a motherboard and expansion cards. The motherboard is the main circuit board in the computer, and it contains the computer""s basic circuitry and components. The computer components contained in the motherboard include microprocessor, coprocessors, memory, basic input/output system, expansion slots, and interconnecting circuitry. Additional components are usually added to the motherboard through its expansion slots. The expansion cardsxe2x80x94e.g., memory, controller boards, network interface card, video adapters and internal modemsxe2x80x94are plugged into the expansion slots on the motherboard to add additional functions or resources to the computer system. Sometimes the requirements for input/output (xe2x80x9cI/Oxe2x80x9d) pin connections between circuit cards and motherboards exceed the available circuit card edge length and exceed the maximum available connector pin density. In this case, a supplemental card is mounted to the motherboard in order to provide additional connectors and I/O pins.
In operation, heat is produced from the circuitry and components on the circuit cards and the motherboard. Heat is also produced from a power supply that powers the computer system as well as a storage device, such as a hard disk drive. Because high temperatures can have an adverse effect on the circuitry and components in the computer system, a fan is usually provided to regulate the internal temperature of the computer system.
In conventional systems, one or more fans are typically mounted to the rear wall of the structure that houses the circuitry and components. In such systems, the fan is placed so as to provide direct cooling to the central processing unit (CPU), which is usually disposed on the motherboard and produces the most amount of heat as compared to other components of the system. However, given the physical structure of the circuit cards and other components of existing systems (as will be described further below), a rear-mounted fan may provide inadequate cooling to heat-generating components other than the CPU.
Moreover, regardless of the actual location of the fan, existing systems require that the fan be attached to the housing using screws or other similar, semi-permanent means of attachment. In such systems, each fan is typically provided with a rectangular frame. The frame, in turn, either has several screw holes, usually located at its corners, or a tab or similar structure which extends from the frame and is adapted to be fastened to the housing. In either case, the requirement and practice of attaching the fan to the housing in a semi-permanent manner necessitate a somewhat complex, and thus, costly, manufacturing process. In addition, the installation, as well dismounting (e.g., for maintenance purposes), of such an assemblage are time- and labor-intensive.
As mentioned previously, the ability of a conventional cooling system to regulate the internal temperature of a computer system is very much dependent on the internal structure of the circuitry and components of the system. In this regard, there are two conventional ways of connecting the circuit cards together with the motherboard. In the first, the circuit cards are plugged perpendicularly into the motherboard. In the second, the circuit cards are first fixed with screws at various positions above the motherboard, and connection cables or lines are provided to connect the circuit cards with expansion slots on the motherboard. In the first configuration, because the circuit cards are perpendicularly plugged into the motherboard, the whole surface area of the circuit cards will block the flow of (cooling) air over the area behind the circuit cards. This alters the internal airflow patterns inside the computer system, which may adversely affect cooling of the circuitry and components within the computer system. Therefore, critical circuitry and components within the computer system may fail because of overheating.
The second configuration, wherein screws are used to fix the circuit cards, is provided in a computer system that is housed within a big box, such as the box that houses a desktop computer. This large form factor makes it difficult to transfer. Moreover, because the connection cables or lines are flexible and not rigid, it is difficult to predict their shape and location upon installation. Oftentimes, they can also alter the internal airflow pattern inside the computer system and adversely affect cooling of particular circuitry and components within the computer system.
In both configurations, it is not possible to both provide airflow in an efficient and simple manner and, at the same time, minimize the profile of a computer system, such as to the size of a notebook. Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for providing separation between circuit boards to allow convective cooling while minimizing the profile of a computer system that houses the circuit boards.